1474-1504 The Gold of the Catolicos Reyes2012 SOLD 450 K€ before fees

The union ofAragon andCastilein the co-ordinated reignoftheCatolicosReyes,Ferdinand and Isabella(1474-1504),assures a lasting political stability in Spain. The renewed prosperitycauses astandardizationof the currencyin whichthe basic unitis now the doblacastellana,a gold coinalsoknownas theexcelente.

Theexcelentesexisted asmultiples,marked forthehighest valuesbythe required amount of 10sinRoman numerals:X for 10,XX for 20,XXXXXfor 50.They are generally notdated,and it is difficultto distinguishbetween the excelentes of castellanosofthe early reignand the later excelentesof ducados.

The top star of theHuntingtoncollectionis not inthis first sale.Weighing140 grams,this presentation coin of50excelentes displaying thecrowned figureof the two sovereignsis the largestknowngold coinof the fifteenth century.

Estimated€450K,acoin of 10excelentesfor saleon June 26is smaller, weighing 35 grams,but with a similar theme.It was mintedin Segovia.Thecatalogindicates thatonlytwo coinsof 10 excelenteshavesurvived,of different modelsso that the offered piece, like the specimen of 50excelentes,isunique in its kind.

POST SALE COMMENT​This coin of 10 excelentes was not the most prestigious piece of the Huntington collection. Its price, €450K before fees, corresponding exactly to the estimate, is a very good result for a medieval coin.

1621 The Ducats of King Sigismund2018 SOLD for $ 1.8M before fees

One of the six known original copies of the 100 Dukat gold coin dated 1621 with the effigy of King Sigismund III was sold for $ 1.38M including premium by Stack's on January 14, 2008. This piece in extremely fine condition is estimated $ 2M for sale by CNG (Classical Numismatic Group, Inc.) in New York on January 10, lot 1127.

The sharpness of the strike on such a large item is exceptional for its time. The rim circle and the centering of the unit for sale are almost perfect : 69.4 x 69.1 cm. It is 4.9 mm thick and weighs 349.49 grams. Tiny hairlines subsequent from handling are inevitable because of the malleability of gold. The coin is signed I.I. and S.A. It could only be used for presentation.

No previous edition is comparable. The 100 ducats coin issued in 1629 for King Ferdinand of Hungary and Bohemia, later the Emperor Ferdinand III, is of similar design with the portrait of the monarch on one side and royal shields on the other.

The coin lists the titles of Sigismund III Vasa as King of Poland and Sweden and Grand Duke of Lithuania, Russia, Prussia, Masuria, Samogitia and Livonia. The king is decorated with the Order of the Golden Fleece as a sign of allegiance to the Habsburgs.

Sigismund was a fervent Catholic born in a Protestant dynasty. He wanted to take over the throne of Sweden which he had lost for that reason in 1599 and was unpopular in Poland. At the beginning of the Thirty Years War, Poland was threatened with an invasion by the Turks but he did not participate directly in the resistance of the Khotyn Fortress in Moldavia against the Ottoman army in 1621. The conjunction of date of the 100 ducats coin with this heroic event is a mere coincidence or an opportunity.

Jacob Jacobson van Emden who signed with his Latinized initials I.I. was since 1616 the mint master in Bydgoszcz (Bromberg). The 100 ducats coin is a demonstration of his know-how which undoubtedly helped him to obtain from 1623 a direct or indirect responsibility over six other royal mints. The initials S.A. designate the engraver Samuel Ammon.

Exceedingly rare Poland commemorative 100 Dukat (349.49 grams) of Zygmunt III Wasa, celebrating 1621 victory over Ottomans, offered by CNG at 46th New York International Numismatic Convention, 10 January 2018, is one of the largest gold coins ever struck. https://t.co/I1Ad44EOqDpic.twitter.com/90dcByCj9A

1652 The First Coins of New England2014 SOLD 650 K$ including premium

Economic activities are gradually organized in the British colonies of America. Trade is introducing foreign coins. Bartering furs and musket balls no longer meets the needs of this growing community.

In 1652, the government establishes a mint in Boston in charge of producing coins for the entire New England consisting in the colonies of Masathusets (spelling of the time), Plymouth, Connecticut and New Haven. Three denominations are created: 3, 6 and 12 pence, the latter being also a shilling.

This social progress responds primarily to a need for regulation. The new coins are worth less than their face value when they leave the American territory, and no effort is made to make them pleasant.

The faces are pewter gray without any figure, just punched on one side by the letters NE for New England and on the other side by the monetary value in Roman numerals. The very first emission has deep marks. In the next issues the punching is soft.

This very rudimentary coinage is in regression against the currencies issued two millennia earlier, and calls to counterfeiting. Very soon a figure is created. The first one is a willow, followed by other trees from 1660.

Coins with deep punching have certainly been made in the first year of the plant. A shilling graded AU50 by PCGS was sold for $ 417K including premium by Heritage on 11 August 2010.

On May 16 in New York, Heritage sells the best known example of the 6 pence coin, graded AU58 by NGC, lot 30258 in the catalog. It comes from the Newman collection.

POST SALE COMMENT

This piece of history was sold for $ 650K including premium. It is in a remarkable condition for its category.

1741 The 20 Ducat Gold Coin of Basel2014 SOLD for CHF 800K before fees

In 1741, Basel is a wealthy city supported by its silk industry. The gold coin of 20 ducats is a masterpiece of the numismatics of its time and perhaps the most beautiful of all Swiss coins. Weighing more than 67 g, it represents a considerable amount of money which explains its extreme rarity.

On November 25 in Geneva, Numismatica Genevensis sells a presentation specimen of this coin in a stunning condition, lot 581 estimated CHF 500K. Here is the link to the site of the auction house.

The engraving is very sharp and very attractive, with Basel symbols including a spectacular basilisk with outspread wings, the coat of arms of the city and the arms of the eight associated municipalities, plus a cornucopia. One side displays a wide panoramic view of Basel with the houses over the Rhine, a bridge and two boats.

The only other surviving copy, in poorer condition, is preserved in the museum of Zurich.

I invite you to play the video shared by Numismatica Genevensis showing the great quality of carving of the Basel cityscape :

1766 The Early Maturity of Catherine the Great2012 SOLD 800 K$ before fees

Peter was the heir to the throne of Russia. His wife Catherine regarded him as an idiot and a drunkard. Becoming Tsar in 1762, Peter III was overthrown after six months by a coup in which he was assassinated. Catherine the Great, of Prussian origin, would now be able to introduce in Russia the influence of the European culture of her time.

The first coins depicting the new Empress showed the face of a young woman.

This ambitious certainly wished offering another figure of herself to better enforce her authority. In 1763, her enthroned portrait by Rokotov flatters the maturity of this 34 year old woman, already imposing and ruling.

In 1766, a new rouble is prepared, with a bust profiled to the right which may have been inspired by the painting of Rokotov. The engraving is very sharp compared to the regular Russian coinage of the time. A few specimens are made, but this pattern coin will never be released.

One of three known pieces is estimated $ 1M, for sale by Baldwin's in New York on January 5. The estimate may seem high, but Russian art collectors often outbid for imperial rarities.

1808 pattern rouble of Alexander I2013 SOLD 1 MCHF before fees by Sincona

1827 pattern rouble of Nicholas I2013 SOLD 2.05 MCHF before fees by Sincona

1886 Ruble Patterns for the Tsars2014 SOLD for CHF 1.5M including premium

Imperial rubles are traditionally in silver. The use of gold is late and exceptional. The most prestigious are the pattern coins, often prepared at the beginning of a new reign. The earliest of these unreleased pieces had no face value and are not very different from a medal.

On 9 October 2012, Sincona sold for CHF 3.6 million before fees a pattern coin made ​​in 1740 with the figure of the baby Tsar Ivan VI. A coin dated 1766 for Catherine II was sold for $ 800K before fees by Baldwin's on January 5, 2012.

Catherine's successor, Paul I, interrupted the tradition of offering the portrait of the Tsar on the coinage.

However, during the confusion that followed the death of Alexander I in 1825, a test piece was struck with the effigy of the apparent heir, Grand Duke Constantine, who had not yet confirmed his refusal to reign. This Constantine ruble is the most prestigious currency in the Russian numismatics. One of them was sold for $ 525K before fees by Baldwin's and M & M on January 15, 2004, a very high price for that time.

In the second specialized Sincona auction from 14 to 16 October 2013, the highest results were achieved for pattern rubles with the two-headed eagle: CHF 1M before fees for the 1808 coin and CHF 2.05 million before fees for the 1827 coin.

In 1886, the portrait of Tsar Alexander III will come back onto the silver rubles and two medalists are in competition. A pattern coin from one of the non accepted models is for sale by Sincona in Zürich on 13 and 14 October. Both sides of this beautiful piece are shown in the article posted by Numismatic News.

1909 The Gold Wons of Dr Jacobs2011 SOLD 630 K$ including premium

PRE SALE DISCUSSION

Dr. Norman Jacobs had specialized in the study of Japanese coins, of which the engraving was particularly striking. This study includes the Korean issues, which were produced in Osaka between 1906 and 1909 in our calendar. The short reign of Yung Hi, the last emperor of the Joseon Dynasty, indeed ended with the annexation of Korea by Japan in 1910.

The sale of his collection was announced at the end of last year. The event is included in the auction made by Heritage at Long Beach from 7 to 12September. It is also noted that the most important lots were not available in the market for over half a century.

A set of three Korean pieces of the third year of Yung Hi (1909) will be separated. These proof coins (minted before commercial production) in gold have the respective values ​​of 5, 10 and 20 won. They are in mint condition (MS64 NGC). For each of them, only one other example, kept at the Bank of Tokyo, is known. Heritage Magazine published the estimate of the 20 won coin : $ 500K.

The auction house is sharing the link to the pages of his catalog. Here are the coins of 20 won, 10 won and 5 won.

POST SALE COMMENT

The biggest of the three coins, 20 won, got the highest price, $ 630K. The other two were sold for $460K for the 5 won and 300K for the 10 won, below their estimates.Keep in mind the total of the three lots: $ 1.39 M. A memorable result for an outstanding set.The above prices include premium.

1920 The Sovereigns of the British Empire2012 SOLD 780 K£ including premium

In 1816, in an act of normalization, the gold coin worth one pound sterling became known as the sovereign. Its characteristics have not changed since that time: 7.988 g, 22 mm diameter, 1.5 mm thick.

The British Empire extended over all regions of the world. It was logical that Australia, a major producer of gold, minted also these coins as soon as security enabled it. Coins made in Sydney, identified by the letter S, were issued from 1855 to 1926, for a total of 115 variants when separating the years.

For many decades, American collectors have built complete thematic series of their currencies composed of the best possible specimens. In other countries, this approach is still unfrequent. The sale by Baldwin's in three parts of the Bentley collection of British sovereigns shall be used as a reference.

The first sale, on 8 May 2012, included all variants made in London, with the exception of the 1819 sovereign which will be the top lot of the third sale in May 2013.

The second sale, on September 27in London, is devoted to colonial issues.

The 1920-S sovereign is an exceptional piece. The extreme rarity of this variant is not correlated with the statistics of the plant, but it is likely that almost all coins minted in Sydney in 1920 remained mintmarked from the previous year.

This coin was purchased Aus $ 580K including premium by its current owner in 2006 in an auction organized by KJC Coins. It is now estimated £ 300K. Both sides are shown on the article shared by Blouin Artinfo.

POST SALE COMMENT

The result is both excellent and very satisfying, because usually the high end of the modern coin market is dominated by U.S. dollars. The Australian sovereign was sold £ 780K, according to a tweet of the auction house.

1936 The Gold Sovereign of Edward VIII2014 SOLD 520 K£ including premium

King George V died in January 1936. In December his son and successor Edward VIII abdicated. His coronation had been planned for the following year, but the new king had already the time to shake some traditions of the monarchy.

This too rapid succession of events generated two of the rarest coin issues of the last century. One of these, marked 1937, was made in 1936. The other one, marked 1936, was made in 1937.

The British mint is active to prepare the image of the young king. He breaks a centuries old custom by choosing a portrait with his face turned in the same direction as that of his predecessor.

When he abdicates, the dies had been ready. They display the date 1937 because they were intended for release in time for the coronation. They are destroyed to prepare the coinage of his brother George VI.

In the twentieth century, they took great care that the coins of first strike be set aside as a special issue for prestige. The very first gold sovereigns of Edward VIII had already been produced. They were not destroyed but they were so rare that the Duke of Windsor himself had no opportunity to acquire one.

The only gold sovereign of Edward VIII available on the market is estimated £ 250K, for sale by Baldwin's in London on May 8. It is illustrated on the release shared by AuctionPublicity.

The other rarity generated by this tumultuous reign is a Canadian coin. In 1937, the Canadian mint needs a decision for its 1 cent coin. It unearths the sick head of George V, but with the date 1936 which remains politically correct with respect to the end of his reign.

One of the three surviving units of the 1 cent coin minted in 1937 was discussed previously in this column. It was sold for $ 400K including premium by Heritage on 3 January 2010.

POST SALE COMMENT

This highly rare coin was sold for £ 430K before fees.

2007 Her Majesty's Bullion2010 SOLD 3.27 M€ before fees

A "bullion coin" is produced for investment and not for circulation. These coins have a facial value, by similarity with the ordinary currency, but their real value is their weight of metal.

Gold bullion coins generally have a purity of 99.99%.

In 2007, the Royal Canadian Mint announces the launch of a product line to 99.999%. And as now the only way to get noticed is gigantism, they produce a coin with facial value of 1 million Canadian $. A small number of investors will then order similar parts.

The piece measures 53 cm in diameter, 3 cm thick, and weighs 100 kg. Chemists will appreciate this remarkable feat of engineering. The reverse shows the emblem of Canada, three maple leaves. Its value to weight is approximately € 3.2 million.

The copy that was owned by an Austrian financial company is for sale by Dorotheum in Vienna on June 25. Exciting fate for this symbol of capitalism: the owner has gone bankrupt!

POST SALE COMMENT

This lot has been sold 3.27 million € before fees. This is the price of its metal value to weight, not surprisingly. The extreme purity of gold has not generated an added value.